With the advancement of dental technologies, patients can now find more means to achieve bright, sparkling smiles, thanks to Cosmetic Dentistry. If you’re looking into beautifying your healthy teeth, there are various options which you can choose from. But first, it would be necessary to know more about this type of dental method so you can make a better informed decision when it comes to having the most beautiful set of teeth possible.

The Definition of Cosmetic Dentistry

Cosmetic Dentistry is an elective treatment which focuses on enhancing the appearance of the teeth, including its gums and bite. Its related treatments go beyond maintaining oral hygiene. While Traditional Dentistry focuses on diagnosing, preventing, and treating teeth-related diseases, the Cosmetic method zooms in on how a set of teeth can even be more aesthetically pleasing. There are a number of treatment options which fall under this dental service. With the Cosmetic approach to dentistry, patients can find more confidence in their smiles and overall appearance.

Dental Implants

Missing teeth can be a daily struggle especially to those who’ll need to constantly connect with people. As a major treatment in Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Implants can replace the missing teeth with titanium-made, artificial teeth. The teeth will be inserted at the root of the jawbone so the denture will further be secured. With its effectiveness, it’s no surprise why Dental Implants have become the number one choice when it comes to therapies related to tooth replacements.

Teeth Whitening

As an aesthetic driven treatment, Teeth Whitening can also boost the confidence of patients. Teeth can get stained due to smoking, or drinking coffee, tea, or red wine. Poor oral hygiene is also another major cause of why teeth can get stained. To enhance a person’s smile, it would then be practical to have the teeth bleached.

Full Mouth Reconstruction

At times, patients will also need an overall make over to bring out their best smiles. This is where full mouth reconstruction becomes helpful. Functional challenges like the teeth, bone structure, muscles, and bite will be corrected while ensuring the new set of teeth’s durability and functionality.

There are many reasons why Full Mouth Reconstructions may be needed by selected patients. These include loss of teeth due to decay and trauma, injuries and fractures, long-term acid erosion, and recurring pains in the jaws. This type of treatment may also reprogram the jaw with the use of a night guard among other corrections and treatments.

Composite Bonding

This type of treatment is best applied for chipped teeth. When the teeth is broken, discolored, or even decayed, the most effective way to repair it would be through Composite Bonding. A composite material will be used, as it looks like an enamel or dentin. The material will then be placed at the cavity and it will be sculpted to merge with the tooth’s surface.

Many people depend on their dental visits to keep their teeth healthy, while others assume that brushing their teeth a few times a week is good enough. Having a passive attitude about the health of your mouth only hurts you and your bank account. Instead of taking this passive approach, try taking control of your mouth’s health by having a more proactive approach to its maintenance.

Brushing Technique

Brushing your teeth involves more than just dragging your brush across the surfaces of your teeth twice a day. While brushing for two minutes, twice a day is the ideal, how you do it matters; a lot, actually. First, let’s talk about the toothbrush itself. Toothbrushes should be replaced every 3-6 months. If you brush your teeth hard, the bristles will splay out to the sides and won’t be very effective. It also doesn’t matter if you use a manual toothbrush or powered brush. Both are capable of effectively removing plaque when used correctly.

Scrub your teeth softly with a small amount of toothpaste applied to the bristles. Position the brush at a 45-degree angle to the gum lines and brush the teeth in a back-and-forth motion. Work through the mouth in a methodical way, making sure you hit every area. The ideal number for making sure teeth are cleaned thoroughly of germs and left-over debris is at least ten strokes in each spot. It may take more time and focus on your molars in the back to make sure they are fully cleaned.

Frequent Flossing

It’s important that you don’t skip flossing every day. While it is just as important as brushing, it doesn’t have to be done more than once a day. It helps reduce gum inflammation and irritation by removing the particles of food and bacteria from between your teeth. Since your brush can’t reach these areas, flossing is the only way to get them clean.

The best technique for flossing is to just make sure you go all the way down between the teeth, rubbing both sides of the teeth as you go up and down. At the bottom, scrape the gum line to make sure nothing it left behind. The type of floss doesn’t matter, just make sure it doesn’t break too easy and is comfortable to use. Whether you floss before or after brushing, just make sure you do it every day.

Using Fluoride

It’s a good idea to make sure you are using fluoride in your dental products. Whether it’s in your toothpaste, mouth wash, or both, it has been proven to make your teeth stronger and reduce the number of cavities. If you are trying to maintain your beautiful smile, include this key ingredient in your routine.

Protecting Your Teeth

There are other protections you can provide for your teeth every day to prevent them from damage. Some things to consider are:

· Reducing the amount of sugar and sticky foods in your diet.

· Limit the amount of acid you eat, especially from citrus fruit. It weakens enamel.

· Make sure you are getting enough calcium and vitamin D every day.

· Wear a mouth guard during sporting events to prevent trauma.

· If you grind your teeth, wear a night guard.

These are all important things to implement into your daily routine, but there is one more vital step to keeping your mouth healthy and preventing damage; visiting your dentist twice a year. Getting a professional cleaning done and finding problems while they are small is the key to having a healthy mouth. Once you make the health of your mouth a priority, you will notice a difference in the way it feels and functions.

The summer feels awesome after winter being spent curled up under the comfort of the fluffy quilt. Now back on the regular schedule of maintaining a health regimen with the regular walks or run from your sports camp or house. In between, there is no escape from the dehydration.

As we know, 60 percent of the human body is water, and that too is for the wellness of the health. Yet, we see most of the people suffer dehydration, especially the people associated with sports. Much to your surprise, this mere problem as you call it, may lead to diseases like headaches, laxity in exercises, combined with kidney and heart disorders.

It is quite intimidating that when you try to overcome this disorder, you face hurdles. Popular myths about hydration are long discussed. But, it is time to explore how much are they true?

Hydration subsides with a sip of Coffee

Your hydration health deteriorates as you sip the morning cup of coffee. The caffeine in the coffee acts as the killer for your health and leads you to an extreme need to be hydrated. This is what long believed. But, recent study shows that if you can sip caffeinated Joe cup coffee as little as four cups, it does the wonders just like water. As per the expert dietician and nutritionist, as you spend your night-sleeping, your hydration health remains at low-level in the morning. Hence, there is nothing wrong if you want one or two cups of coffee after you get off your bed in the morning. Besides, coffee helps in reducing weight.

Drink Only When You Are Thirsty

Thinking you are well hydrated as you don’t feel thirsty is a wrong perception. Thirst is much like sunburns that is visible when it reaches the level of infinity. Dehydration can impact your health by 2-3% of your body weight prior to the actual thirst acts. It is more relevant to people with older age who measure hydration level with thirstiness.

Gauge the level of well hydrated health by checking the color of your urine. The pale and clear urine symbolizes the better hydrated health while the frequent number of urination every few hours also signals well-hydrated health.

8 Glasses of Water for Every Day

The number cannot guarantee you a well-hydrated health. The needs of every person differ based on age and sex. Apart from these, there are other factors too, such as pregnancy, including that of lactation. Remember, intake of liquid does not always need to be in the form of water. It can come from the food. Plant-based diet is beneficial in this regard. And add to this, fruits and vegetables such as cucumber, watermelon, star fruit and celery can replenish your beverage needs.

Too Much Water is Good

The concentration of electrolytes can be diluted by intake of too much water. As a result, you may face a life-threatening condition for low sodium levels in blood. Balancing electrolytes are important. If you consume more water than your body weight, it could result in death. Hence, manage a well-maintained water intake of only 2-3 cups per hour.

Sports Drinks are Ultimate

Sports drinks contain the goodness of electrolyte properties, helping in preventing tiredness, nausea, spasm in muscles and others. However, remember, this physical condition happens only when you sweat too much for too much physical workout. And this is where you really need a good sport drink. But, just a physical workout for a couple of minutes does not need any kind of sport drinks. And if you still prefer sport drinks to just a plain water, you end up gaining weight.

Dehydration is often assumed as a mere health complication. But, much to your surprise, this highly overlooked health disorder may get you a real headache. If overlooked, serious health complications such as headaches, low blood pressure along with tiredness and even death can occur to you.

Most of us are told, time and again, that we have to avoid certain foods if we want to keep our teeth nice and healthy. Which means that not a lot of people will be surprised if they were told that they should stay away from sugary, sticky snacks and beverages.

But is there a more positive angle to take on this? Why focus so much on what you shouldn’t do when you can instead look at the things you can do to improve your dental health?

Many of us understand that we need certain foods to maintain our overall health, but there are also many foods that can have a direct impact on our dental health, too. These foods include, but are not limited to:

Leafy Greens

Greens are filled with folic acid, which promotes a healthy mouth structure and cell growth, which means they can contribute to stronger tooth enamel. There is also a lot of vitamin B, which reduces irritations and inflammations.

Celery

Celery features vitamins A and C, which contribute to overall health of your gums. As a side benefit, chewing celery is like brushing your teeth without actually brushing your teeth because it can help clean some of the food particles from your teeth. (Note that this does not replace your regular teeth brushing.)

Firm Fruits

There is a lot of goodness in most of the fruit available at your local grocery store, but it’s usually best to stick with firmer varieties, like apples, that have a high water and fiber content. This is because despite the number of vitamins and nutrients, fruits also have a lot of sugar, and soft fruits that stick to your teeth can be as bad as any other sugary snack.

Coconut Oil

This is one of the richest sources of saturated fat in the world which means it is composed of triglycerides and lauric acid. This element breaks down into monolaurin, which helps to kill harmful bacteria and viruses that are setting up shop in your mouth.

Nuts

Most nuts – but almonds in particular – can be really good for your teeth. They are a major source of protein and calcium without any unnecessary sugars.

Cheese

Some studies suggest that cheese may actually have enough calcium in it that it can protect your teeth from the acids in other foods. Also, like many other foods on this list, as you chew these firm foods, it helps produce extra saliva, which can lower the risk of tooth decay.

Yogurt

Like many other dairy products, yogurt packs a lot of calcium and protein. This helps strengthen your teeth, but the real benefit is in the probiotics, which have a positive impact on your gums and push out some of the other bacteria that could cause cavities. (Just make sure you’re not getting a brand/flavor of yogurt that has a high sugar content.)

Strawberries

This is a difficult one. Strawberries contain malic acid, which is used by the body to convert carbohydrates into energy. However, it can break down tooth enamel. On the other hand, that same malic acid can act as a natural teeth whitener (if you smash a couple up with some baking soda). The solution, then, is to always rinse or brush your teeth after any strawberry application.

Water

Yes, technically this is a drink and not a food, but it is a critical part of a tooth-healthy diet. Water helps wash sugars and acid off your teeth. If you are living in an area with fluoridated water, studies have shown that this also helps reduce the risk of cavities.

Maintaining healthy teeth and gums doesn’t have to be difficult, and it doesn’t have to mean giving up a lot of delicious foods. There are plenty of great things you can eat that actually have a beneficial impact on the state of your teeth. Keep these things in mind on your next trip to the grocery store.